RE: Fiat confirms 124 Spider for its MX-5
Friday 6th March 2015
At last! It was back in May 2012 when the news of a Mazda-Fiat collaboration on the MX-5 first emerged. Since then we've had various top quality PH renderings of an Alfa Spider, the switch to a Fiat, then to an Abarth and finally the launch of the MX-5 with no real mention of the Italian alternative.
Ah, the days before PhotoshopNow Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne has confirmed its version of the Mk4 MX-5 will be a 124 Spider. The original 124 Spider was a Fiat and then later an Abarth for competition. So a regular Fiat version and then a faster Abarth maybe? And an MPS MX-5? OK, perhaps we're getting a little carried away...
Fiat confirms 124 Spider for its MX-5
The Mazda-Fiat-Alfa-Abarth spider saga reaches a conclusion
Ah, the days before Photoshop
The Fiat/Abarth is expected 12 months after the Mazda which would puts its on-sale date as summer 2016. Appropriately enough that would be 50 years after the first 124 Spider was seen. If it's as good as the MX-5-with-Italian-flair premise would suggest, it could be a corker.
[Source: Autocar]
Discussion
wildcat45 said:
I wonder why they opted for Fiat rather than Alfa? It's not as if Alfa have a massive and confusing range of cars is it? Is Alfa slowly being sidelined into extinction?
That said this sounds like a potentially cracking little car.
Maybe they want to save Alfa for the slightly more upmarket exotic stuff like the 4C and have FIAT for the more basic sports car.That said this sounds like a potentially cracking little car.
GTEYE said:
It's probably a closer spiritual successor to the Barchetta than the 124, but no matter.
I had a Barchetta, cracking little car in its day - even if it was FWD....
Will be looking forward to Italian style and Japanese reliability!
Eh? why would it be closer to a FWD car when its RWD, called a 124 and styled in an updated fashion, I for one am really looking forward to it, could be a great little car, turbo lumps and lets hope Fiat bring a little 500 type cheek to the party.I had a Barchetta, cracking little car in its day - even if it was FWD....
Will be looking forward to Italian style and Japanese reliability!
wildcat45 said:
I wonder why they opted for Fiat rather than Alfa? It's not as if Alfa have a massive and confusing range of cars is it? Is Alfa slowly being sidelined into extinction?
That said this sounds like a potentially cracking little car.
Supposedly it's because they've decided that Alfas have to be all Italian.That said this sounds like a potentially cracking little car.
Judging by all the ropey/rusty RX8s and MX5s I have seen when looking to buy, I’ll be hoping that Fiat had plenty of input on the build quality as all Fiats/Alfas I have had have been better than the Mazdas, quite a lot of underbody rust on the Mazdas.
The new MX5 looks so good I can’t see how Fiat will top it, if they can I may buy one, although my experiences with the Fiat group dealer network leaves a lot to be desired so perhaps not.
The new MX5 looks so good I can’t see how Fiat will top it, if they can I may buy one, although my experiences with the Fiat group dealer network leaves a lot to be desired so perhaps not.
Edited by sandys on Friday 6th March 15:22
GTEYE said:
It's probably a closer spiritual successor to the Barchetta than the 124, but no matter.
I had a Barchetta, cracking little car in its day - even if it was FWD....
Will be looking forward to Italian style and Japanese reliability!
Yeah, like the Alfa Romeo Arna, Alfa Sud Bits and a Datsun Cherry body shell, perfection I had a Barchetta, cracking little car in its day - even if it was FWD....
Will be looking forward to Italian style and Japanese reliability!
Edit, just noticed the picture with the nice lady on the bonnet.
I want one, well not really, even if I did,
https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?utf8=%E2%9C%93&...
Last one died in 2007, officially extinct !
Actually, thats a bit sad, however s
t a car may be, we should always keep one for nostalgia/reference.Edited by J4CKO on Friday 6th March 15:22
VladD said:
wildcat45 said:
I wonder why they opted for Fiat rather than Alfa? It's not as if Alfa have a massive and confusing range of cars is it? Is Alfa slowly being sidelined into extinction?
That said this sounds like a potentially cracking little car.
Maybe they want to save Alfa for the slightly more upmarket exotic stuff like the 4C and have FIAT for the more basic sports car.That said this sounds like a potentially cracking little car.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/fiat/90395/new-fiat-1...
AutoExpress said:
Alfa Romeo to get its own new roadster
At Geneva 2015 Marchionne then went on to confirm that Alfa Romeo’s rebirth plan – announced in May last year – will also include a roadster of its own, although he wouldn’t go into detail on this. He did say, though, that the car will be built in Italy, as is the intention for all the company’s cars.
Until recently, the Fiat Chrysler Group version of the Mazda MX-5 was set to wear an Alfa Romeo badge, but a U-turn from CEO Sergio Marchionne meant that how the roadster would be branded was up in the air, until recently.
Back in February a company insider told us “all Alfa Romeos need to be 100 per cent Italian”. That backs up Marchionne’s earlier comments that no Alfa would be built outside Italy on his watch.
Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/fiat/90395/new-fiat-1...
At Geneva 2015 Marchionne then went on to confirm that Alfa Romeo’s rebirth plan – announced in May last year – will also include a roadster of its own, although he wouldn’t go into detail on this. He did say, though, that the car will be built in Italy, as is the intention for all the company’s cars.
Until recently, the Fiat Chrysler Group version of the Mazda MX-5 was set to wear an Alfa Romeo badge, but a U-turn from CEO Sergio Marchionne meant that how the roadster would be branded was up in the air, until recently.
Back in February a company insider told us “all Alfa Romeos need to be 100 per cent Italian”. That backs up Marchionne’s earlier comments that no Alfa would be built outside Italy on his watch.
Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/fiat/90395/new-fiat-1...
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